1

I hate this.

I hated every moment of this. 

I so badly want to toss the bags at Monica and tell her to carry her bags herself if she wanted so many purchases. This is what you get for being a people pleaser Katy. I chastise internally. Sometimes I wished I could just open my mouth and say half the things I think about. defend myself for once. But I don’t, I try, but the words just... don’t come. 

A few times, I’ve even gone as far as rehearsing the words in front of the mirror, straightening my spine and shoulders to project confidence. 

No, I can’t help you today. 

Sorry, I’ve already made plans. 

And the most important from when I was six, No, I do not wish to give you my toy. 

Darn it.

So I wish and wish and wish Some more-“Oof!” I screech, as I bounce off a hard surface, the bags flying from my arms and the contents spilling out and falling down on my butt, my right elbow protests as I landed slightly to the side. I suck in a deep breath, waiting for the pain to pass as I silently pray I didn’t break something, mostly my butt. 

I roll over slowly, my hands going to the clothes and tens of accessories scattered across the floor. 

I hope nothing got damaged.

“I’m so sorry,” I say to the person I must have bumped into without looking up, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment, I don’t suppose there was a way any of that went unnoticed?

I had been distracted by my thoughts but the number of bags I had to carry obstructed my vision as well. Shifting to my knees, I begin to stuff the purchase closest to me back into the bags not caring if I mix them up, mum and daughter would have to sort it out by themselves later. 

A pair of shiny Italian loafers appeared in my line of sight and I cringed. 

Oh, snap.

I remain on my knees, with my head lowered, hoping whoever he was he would accept my apology and go about his way, my prayers as usual, this goes unanswered as the shoes remain unmoving, a dark pair of tailored trousers covers his legs. 

A moment later, a box holding a pair of pearl necklaces appears in my line of sight as the man lowers to one knee, and I realize he is holding it out to me.

“Here,” he says. 

The baritone of his voice slid over me, I stifled a shiver. Deep, and cultured, it is the voice of a man. The kind that turned heads and caused women to swoon.

Fumbling slightly, I reach for it, and just as my finger touches the velvet material of the box, it slips through my fingers. 

“Wh-” I looked up and froze. There was no other word for it.

The words on my tongue are forgotten, and so is my ability to inhale air. He was beautiful. And I mean that in the most masculine way possible, his features are sharp, his eyes arresting. A light subtle lining his jaw. I blinked at the handsome man in front of me. Still on one knee, the box dangling between two fingers as he holds it out to me once more. 

I forget that I am meant to take it as I am entranced by him. 

“Let me help you with that, Sir” a female voice cuts and I realize I’ve been staring at him like a creep. 

It's a store attendant and she and a few others have joined to start picking up the scattered items. 

I get up quickly, apologizing once more, “I’m-m so sorry” I stuttered, clearing my throat. 

The gentleman takes his time getting up and for a moment he looks like a prince from a fairytale. A dark fairytale that is. With a clipped nod of his head, he turns and disappears through the rack of clothes and I lose sight of him. 

All the while my heart is in my throat. 

That has got to be the weirdest encounter of my life, my goodness. But he was so handsome. I blink repeatedly, lowering to continue picking up the items, I stuff clothes and shoes ceremonially into the bags, hiking them up my arms but they keep falling over as I lower to get more clothes from the floor. Just how many clothes did Monica buy today? 

The store attendants helped bag some items as the handle of two bags got broken in my fall. I mop my forehead with my wrist, and as they do I see them whispering behind their hands. “Think she knows him?” 

The other shakes her head looking at me out of the corner of her eyes, but I hear them quite clearly as I am standing about three feet away.

Finally finished packing my things the first girl brought them over, she looked to be my age, I reckoned she was a college student working part-time, she gave me a shy smile “So we were wondering, do you know Mr. Quinn?” I look in the direction the man just disappeared through. 

Him? 

I squinted taking the bags from her outstretched hands, should I?

I shake my head feeling a little lost though I know I shouldn’t, I couldn't help but ask “Do you know him?” 

I licked my lips nervously as I waited for her reply, thinking back he didn’t seem familiar, I would remember a face like that, but maybe he was a movie celebrity or a famous model? with looks like that especially. 

The girl nods, “Yeah, he owns the building” 

“Oh,” I blinked, taken aback as I hadn't been expecting that. “Wow” 

And he helped me pack my things, they must take customer service seriously. “He must be very nice,” I remarked.

The ladies snickered, the one behind the counter included, I knew she had been listening to us, though her eyes were glued to the machine in front of her. “Him? nice? he wouldn’t stop to check if he saw the child crying”

“Mr. Quinn is…” she leaned forward as if trying to tell me a secret, I too, leaned over the counter, drawn to the topic, “Quite notorious” she finished.

I jerked back, unable to relate that with what I just witnessed, I think these ladies were just pair of gossips, but not like I’ll be seeing him again anyway. 

“Thank you again,” I say with a polite smile. Grasping the bags and hurrying for the exit. 

I barely manage to catch up with Eunice and Monica, the mother-daughter duo as they are about to leave the next store. “These bags too,” Monica points, and I want to ask with which hand am I to hold them. But she’s already turned to her mother grinning and saying “I can’t wait to try my new clothes” 

Swallowing the retort, I hike up the ones I already have higher on my arms and add the extra, three on each arm. the only good point is that it's just clothes and don’t weigh much. 

“I think the pink dress will suit you perfectly” Eunice replies patting her daughter on the arm.

I’m still arranging them when Eunice's voice snaps. “Follow up, we should visit your father now, I don’t have all day”

I nod once and fall in behind them my tongue between my teeth, my throat clenching as I think about Dad.

It’s always sad thinking about him, but no matter how painful, I never back away from seeing him, it’s why I took a break from my studies, wanting to spend the next week at home.